THE VACATION SWAP I

THE VACATION SWAP, EPISODE 1: WE USED TO BE WILD

CECILIA

“Oh yes,” the lady at the reception desk told me, grinning from ear to ear. “Gabriella and Terry right? Happy anniversary.”

“No,” I corrected her. “We are Cecilia and Lekan. We reserved our room for last weekend.”

Though in my head, the wheels were turning from heating my Bestfriend’s name and her hubby. I thought Gabby told me they weren’t going on vacation.

“I’m sorry,” the lady smiled before she turned her eyes to her computer.

I looked around the lobby at the glass walls and the doors.

Gabby was somewhere here, or on her way. Lekan stood a few metres away, taking a business call as always. I turned back to the receptionist.

“About Gabby and Terry, they are my friends. Do you know when they will arrive?” I feigned a smile, resting my hands on the shining countertop.

“I’m sorry, I can’t discuss–”

“Other clients' details, of course,” I cut in sharply unable to hide my irritation.

The receptionist nodded and continued getting our details. I felt so impatient as I searched the reception area in hopes of seeing them.

When I finally saw Gabby walk in, I knew nothing had changed since college. Gabby had put on a little weight. She wasn't the small girl from back then; her curves were fuller, her hips were wider, and her chest was larger.

I quickly rushed to my husband’s side. “Lekan. Baby, Gabby, and Terry are here.”

“Gabby? Your friend from…”

“Yes!” I cut in again. I had no patience today to let people finish their sentences. “She is here already!” I whispered with urgency.

“I need to finish this, babe I’m sure you can handle this. Excuse me,” Lekan said, walking to the side.

I was going to stop him, but it was too late. Gabby and Terry were already too close. The receptionist handed me my key just in time to shift her attention to Gabby behind me.

“Hello, how can I help you today?”

“Mr. and Mrs. Terry,” Terry said. He was 6’3, part Irish, and was dressed in a light blue singlet and brown cargo pants filled with pockets. He took off his glasses and dropped his expensive watch on the counter.

I gasped, pretending I had just seen her. “Gabby!” I squealed, taking a dramatic pause.

Gabby took off her shades. She was still a beauty queen, her eyelids covered in fairy dust pink and blue eyeshadow. She didn't look too surprised.

Gabby blinked a few times, and a forced smile touched her pink, glossy lips.

“Cilia!” she said and opened her arms.

Bitch, I thought as I hugged her, pretending to care. I had called Gabby to invite her on this vacation since our anniversaries were on the same day. She said she and Terry were busy, so imagine my surprise seeing them here.

We hugged, the guys shared stiff handshakes, and we shared quick side hugs with them. The receptionist handed Gabby their key, and we turned to head to the elevator together.

“How long are you guys here for?” I asked Gabby.

“A week,” she said as she reached out for Terry to take her hand. Lekan was too busy typing on his phone, but he followed beside me.

The last time I had seen Terry was on their wedding night when we had shared our honeymoon location. We were young and wild then, all of us too in love and too horny.

One night, we organized a movie night. Before we reached the thirty-minute mark, we were all naked, tangled up in pairs.

Gabby and Terry were under the covers while Lekan and I hid in the restroom. No one cared about being quiet, and those were the best nights. That was before Lekan got into politics and became less fun, and before I started my business and got too busy.

I swallowed hard as I looked at Terry, accepting that I still had a massive crush on him. He looked even better than he did six years ago when I first bought him a drink and flirted with him.

I missed when I had his undivided attention but ever since Gabby joined us at that table six years ago, he’d been hooked on her.

“Lekan and I are here for the same time. I guess I will see you around?” I told Gabby. When she faced me, I mouthed the words, “Call me,” which was funny because I didn't even need her to call me.

As soon as Lekan and I got into our room, I went into the bathroom with the excuse that I wanted to shower. I turned on the water and dialed Gabby’s number.

It took her a minute to answer. “You lied to me!” I said as soon as the line connected.

“We wanted to have a special anniversary, Cilia,” Gabby said. “Besides, I didn't think we would land in the same hotel. The same city, maybe, but…”

“We are basically sisters from different mothers. We like the same things, end up in the same places, and sometimes we even share men!”

“Can you not bring this up? It was five years ago,” Gabby begged. “We don't need that in our lives. Lekan is in the public eye and Terry is chasing a legal trial. If news of our affair with his brother gets out, they might claim I conspired or something.”

“Okay, fine. No one wants to relive the past anyway. What about our future? In case you haven't noticed, Gabbs, we are on the same island, honeymooning. We go back to being thirty and busy after this week. We have to have fun—our girls' night type of fun.”

“Okay, okay,” Gabby replied reluctantly. She managed to laugh. “Terry and I are having lunch by the lake tonight.”

“We will be there,” I accepted her invitation before she even officially extended it.

Lekan took a nap after he was done showering. I wasn't feeling tired yet, so I left the room to look for Gabby. I was surprised to see her at the bar drinking, and even more surprised to see that she was alone.

Instead of going to meet her, I went to her room. I tried the door, and it opened; she had left it unlocked.

I walked in and closed the door, checking to ensure the key card was in its slot. No one could come in.

“Babe, is that you? Come here,” Terry called from the bathroom. The shower was running, and steam escaped through the edges of the door.

Playing with fire, I took off my shoes, turned off the bathroom lights, and stripped to join him.

It was just payback, and nothing more. A very delicious payback.